Fire chief, officers save woman planning to jump from bridge

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A woman who was contemplating jumping from a Mississippi River bridge in downtown St. Paul was pulled to safety by a fire chief while two police officers reassured her that she is loved.

A passer-by captured the dramatic rescue from the edge of Robert St. Bridge on cellphone video Tuesday afternoon.

One of the officers, Shawn Longen, says they tried to talk the woman into retreating from the ledge, telling her there are people who care about her.

Meanwhile, St. Paul District Fire Chief Conrad Ertz quietly approaches the woman from behind, unbeknownst to her. Eventually he is close enough to grab the woman and pull her back to safety on the ground, where the officers helped to restrain her.